Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin McCall.
Hi Kevin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Kevin McCall. I am the singer and guitarist of the Philadelphia-based modern rock band Andorra and a music industry professional. I grew up in the suburbs just outside the city with little to do besides pound Monster energy drinks outside 7-11, blast Kyuss full volume, & drum up local shows at the next DIY venue that would allow us to throw an angsty, rock n roll rager.
Elementary school is where I met some of my closet pals and musical partners, Michael Trycieckyj and Chris Tronoski (aka Tronny Dons). Michael and I were destined to be best friends since that first booger-ridden kindergarten handshake. Michael joined Andorra officially in 2014 as our bassist and became the “Lennon to my McCartney.” Tronny essentially got me kicked out of public school and sent straight to Saint Helena’s. Beside the crushing Irish Catholic guilt, I left that school with a band thanks to Jordan Petrellis (drums).
As you can imagine, there’s not much to do in the PA ‘burbs, so we took it upon ourselves to set up local bills for underage bands looking for a home to share original music. From booking to advancing shows, little did I know the church basements and parking lot shows were giving me the skill sets needed to be a future a talent buyer/ production manager. University of the Arts MBET program (Music, Business, Entrepreneurship, Technology) presented itself, and Andorra was the perfect vessel to ginny pig the things I learned in class back into. There, we met guitarist Dante DiLoreto, Medford, NJ’s finest, and the band was off to the races.
After graduation, I quickly found myself at the Grape Room, sitting across from Scooter. I had asked if he could hold a Saturday night for us at Grape so Andorra could celebrate our sophomore studio record, “What You Wanted, What You Got.” I dropped the ball and totally forgot about the date! He was miffed, but I quickly said, “I can fix this,” and booked a fine bill of local friends at the Grape Room. He saw my love for live music and booking and said, “Hey, wanna do that again?” He was the first person to give me an opportunity to book live music in Philadelphia, and a tattoo of grapes on my sleeve reminds me every day. Grape became a place Andorra frequented regularly. It’s were we fostered community, show swapped with bands routing through Philly, and cemented lifelong relationships.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
“I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet…a pawn and a king. I’ve been up and down and over and out…and I know one thing. Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race.”
Andorra has certainly had our ups and downs. The project dates back to 2010, so we’ve been around the block. Anytime we had to go our separate ways with a band member, it was like losing a brother. Having to remove Nick Malfara, one of our first guitarists, was extremely difficult. I mean… he introduced me to my wife. That was a hard one. Sam Carlen, our second guitarist, was tough too. We were old enough to know better, but it was college, you know, man? As it stands now, the core 4-piece of myself, Jordan, Michael, and Dante have been the most consistent and the strongest version of this group with 4 studio albums under our belt. Touring is always a struggle because something always goes wrong. Dates fall through; the van gets robbed, finding a comfortable place to sh*t. Not everyone is built for it, but you gotta do it.
At this stage, we’re past the point of “breaking up.” Keeping it together is my primary focus at this point. Managing schedules, babies, life events all make it harder to get together. And we will.
Unfortunately, on March 15, 2024, we had to abruptly say goodbye to our beloved Grape Room. This was the hardest of all. So many memories. Real blood, sweat, and tears have been shed on that stage. Luckily, folks at Rising Sun Presents, Dave Kiss Presents, Bad Habits Bookings, and the Vine Collective are continuing to keep music and community alive in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
Every day, I wake up and get to work in the music industry. Grape Room allowed me to become a Swiss Army knife and take on anything from booking, operations, ticketing, to production. I am proud of my Andorra family, my work families, and the long-winded journey it took me to get to the place where I feel financially stable doing the thing I love to do.
I am not a specialist. I am forever a student, always looking to take a few strokes off my golf game.
What makes you happy?
I love rock n roll so much that I wanted to live in it. And I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andorra_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andorramusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YEMUX24uNhHFhRTQcExJj?si=FLMLQTc4QuukbQvyvfSZKA
Image Credits
Jordan Petrellis
Alyssa Kriner
